


warm me up

by wonderstruckxxx



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, KiHo Bingo, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2018-11-09 14:43:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11106726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderstruckxxx/pseuds/wonderstruckxxx
Summary: kihyun catches feelings, and he doesn't know how to deal with them.(or, kihyun tries to deal with an arranged marriage slash coven union slash business merger and hoseok, who's too angelic to be a vampire.)





	1. you got me thinking (feeling)

**Author's Note:**

> first box for kiho bingo, which i will try to finish while writing for the other boxes too ;n; 
> 
> also, i took a lot of liberties in writing this au, i reimagined the au in a way that some might not like or get, but still, i hope you guys like it!
> 
> and please do note that there will be mentions of blood and other warnings that apply to vampire aus!

Kihyun simply doesn’t understand. And it’s not for the lack of trying, that’s for sure. He’s been trying to, tried putting himself in his fiance’s shoes, tried looking at how his family does things from the eyes of someone who comes from a totally different upbringing, but still, considering all those differences, Kihyun really can’t see why Hoseok is so upset.

For one, this union, marriage, or whatever they want to call it, is the only thing that brought them together. When his father summoned him some weeks ago, telling him to suit up for an important dinner, he expected a night of socializing with members of some other coven they’re acquainted with. It never crossed his mind that the said dinner would involve him being propositioned to be the other half of a symbolic union between two powerful covens from opposite sides of the country. Meaning to say, he’s never met Shin Hoseok before their parents decided to get them married. Sure, he’s heard about him before, how could he not when Hoseok is the only son of the leaders of the only known coven in the country who has stopped consuming human blood. A fact that had always piqued his interest, because how? How could these vampires live without tasting human blood, without satisfying their natural urges to do so?

So this union of covens has shaken up not only him, everyone else in their coven besides his parents think it’s a bad idea. Because on the other hand, they are the only coven in country whose members still have human sitims. In hindsight, they’re not as old-fashioned as some covens believe they are. Unlike their ancestors, there are no more blood bonds between vampire and the sitims they exclusively feed on. In fact, sitims can come and go as they wish, it’s just a matter of convenience, Kihyun believes.

“He probably just jealous? I mean, I don’t get it either, like is he already in love with you?”

Kihyun hates the teasing tone in Hyungwon’s voice, the glint of mischief mirrored in his eyes. He can see it clearly, with his head is on Hyungwon’s lap, his face basking in the moonlight that filters through the branches and leaves of the tree above them.

“Shut up, we’ve only known each other for three weeks, how the fuck can he fall in love with me when we barely even talked?”

Hyungwon laughs, the familiar laugh paired with the memory of them as kids, Hyungwon laughing when a girl in class confessed to Kihyun with a mudpie, a literal pile of mud on a cup. A laugh that’s anything but comforting.

“Do you see how he looks at you though? And how he looked at me a while ago?”

Kihyun rolls his eyes at that, whatever Hyungwon is insinuating, he refuses to dwell on it any further. For all he knows, Hyungwon could be planting seeds in his head that would eventually be a source of entertainment for the younger man.

“What do you know, you haven’t even talked to him,” Kihyun says, attempting a flick on Hyungwon’s forehead, which Hyungwon successfully dodges.

“No, I haven’t. But I clearly remember the change in his face when you introduced me as your best friend,” Hyungwon pauses, then lifts up his hands to air quote for emphasis, “and sitim.”

Kihyun lifts his eyebrow at this, “Why does that even matter, you just draw out blood every other week, blood that I keep in bags in the fridge and drink whenever I feel the need to, what the hell is wrong with that?”

Hyungwon laughs at him again, the mocking in it even more evident, if that was even possible.

“Didn’t it ever cross your mind that other vampires don’t know how much this kind of setup is different from what they know? That your fiance probably thinks you suck blood directly from my neck on a regular basis, and that we’re somehow bonded?”

He thinks about for a while, acknowledging the validity of Hyungwon’s statement. For someone whose family has been acquainted with vampires for so long, Hyungwon has somehow managed to pick-up more information and built a better instinct that he has.

“So he thinks we…”

Hyungwon nods, finding meaning in the vague hand gestures he just made, “yes, your fiance thinks we’re fucking and is acting like a jealous boyfriend, so help me god.”

~~~~~~

Kihyun’s been thinking about it for days. If Hyungwon is right, then he at least has a lot of schooling to do. In between the thinking he’s been doing, he realized that it is highly probable that Hoseok had misunderstood. Which is excusable, but kind of improper? Like didn’t his parents even give him a bit of background about the coven they’re uniting with. Sure, the remaining elders have blood-bound sitims, but it’s not like there are sexual relations involved.

Those kinds of relationships still exist, but Kihyun and Hyungwon are nothing but best friends.

Kihyun drags himself off of his bed, a glaring 7:23 on the digital clock on his bed side table. Aside from the coven, his parents also run a respectable food chain around the country. His parents own a fast food franchise which he is also expected to run in the very near future. Now that he thinks about it more, the coven union could very much be a business union as well. As far as he knows, Hoseok’s parents own a respected beverage company, the very company that supplies all drinks sold at all the branches of their food chain.

Which makes this union somehow equally beneficial for both parties. As far as he’s concerned, the union slash merger slash wedding is happening in a few months, and his thesis is due just a month earlier, so he doesn’t need Hoseok’s drama.

But he finds himself wondering about what could be going in the older man’s head. He knows he should be editing the graphs and charts his professor had criticized for lack of cohesion, but instead he’s thinking of the best way to explain his situation to Hoseok. He’d rather not consult Hyungwon about it again, because he knows Hyungwon would only tease him for caring when he had nonchalantly dismissed the possibility of attraction between him and Hoseok.

He rubs the sleep off his eyes, finally getting out of his bed. Sleep is something he doesn’t exactly need but thoroughly enjoys. The blinds are drawn shut for obvious reasons, not like he’d turn into ash or anything. But being exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods of time irritates his skin a lot, and it triggers his eyes to glow a weird amethyst shade, a rarity that even their elders couldn’t explain.

It’s his last semester, and he doesn’t have much classes left, just his thesis and a couple of free electives that he wasn’t able to take back then. His parents often joke about him having to take college over and over again if he stops aging soon. They can’t know for sure, but he hopes to continue aging for a few more years, because really, one time in college is enough. He’s seen his father’s cousin, technically his uncle, Minhyuk, who stopped aging at 19 some years ago go through college for like the 4th time, out of his own free-will at least.

It’s one of the trivial things that happen as they live like this. It’s the reason why Hyungwon’s family is so close to his, because the Chae family have been their front for the past century. It’s Hyungwon’s father who is known to be the CEO of their fast food chain. And it’s Hyungwon who’s going to take-over, as known to the public. It’s a thing, as far as he knows, most of the larger, stronger covens have ties with a human family.

This life is too complicated, and Kihyun acknowledges that he has no choice in it. He was born as a vampire, a fact that he could actually bury until the desire for blood arises.

He walks to his kitchen, grabbing a glass from his cupboard. He could forgo his morning urges usually, and he’d usually go for the milk instead, but this morning he reaches far back for a blood bag. He doesn’t empty the bag, only filling the glass halfway. He downs it in one go, the nagging feeling in his gut somehow satiated.

As soon as places the glass, he thinks of Hoseok, and he somehow feels upset.

~~~~~~

The lights are too bright, the music is too tacky, and he barely knows half the people in the ballroom. Kihyun just arrived, and he already wants to leave. And this is his engagement party, his own engagement party that his and Hoseok’s parents planned without notifying him and probably Hoseok too. Everyone in their coven is there, and he greets them as politely as he could, same goes for the people he doesn’t know.

He sees Hyungwon from a distance, flirting with someone he doesn’t know but is pretty much human as far as he could tell. They meet gazes, and he fake gags at his best friend’s sleazy antics. Hyungwon responds with an eyeroll. It’s a normal field day for his best friend, that’s for sure.

He leaves the ballroom for the balcony in hopes of relieving himself from the off-putting merriment in his name. It’s been a week since that weird meeting between Hoseok and Hyungwon, which Hyungwon insists is a display of jealousy on Hoseok’s part. But he still refuses to look at it that way, because growing feelings shouldn’t be that easy. He’d rather think of it as a bout of pride or whatever. But even so, if he does think of it that way, it still doesn’t make complete sense, it’s not like he’ll still have Hyungwon when they get married. When a vampire marries a vampire, he or she will cease to have a sitim. It’s a thing, a thing that Hoseok should be well aware of.

As soon as he steps out into the open balcony, he feels the intense gusts of wind on every bit of exposed skin, sharp and somewhat piercing. His auburn hair is sticking out in different directions, the wind relentlessly breaking down the hold of the styling wax he generously put on in a rush.

He decides that this was a bad idea, opting to return inside and try the lobby instead. But a dark blue halo catches his eye, a familiar form, a stunning silhouette complemented by the Seoul night lights. Kihyun is one who appreciates beauty in all forms, and he could never deny that the scene right before his eyes is a sight that words could never describe.

Kihyun is not a romantic, and is more like anything but, in all honesty. But as Hoseok turns around, he swears to God, it feels as if time slows down on them. It feels as if time is slow enough for him to be able to commit to memory every single frame of Hoseok illuminated by the moonlight, under the stars, backlit by the city lights. It's unnerving.

“Kihyun-ssi?”

There was an unfamiliar softness is Hoseok’s tone, one that he hasn’t had the chance of hearing before. Their interactions have been limited, an awkward air always clouding them all. This, this is different, a good kind of different, but Kihyun doesn’t know what to think of it, how to deal with it.

He couldn’t even think of anything to say, especially since he just had a completely unexpected realization. Hoseok is goddamn beautiful and is outright attractive. It's not like he didn't notice that before, when they met, despite the absurdity of the situation, he noticed how stunning Hoseok's profile is under low light, pale skin glowing effortlessly. But Kihyun, he knows how to differentiate physical attraction from feelings. Kihyun, he appreciates art, appreciates beauty and visuals, his feelings never swaying despite that. But right now, he's not so sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. heart stop (beating)

When they were younger, Kihyun always asked Hyungwon how it felt like to play under the sun. Back then, his parents were still overprotective of him, at 6 years old, when most kids his age played outside, Kihyun was strictly instructed to stay inside and was home-schooled. It’s not like the sun would actually harm him, it won’t. Just some rashes.  It wasn’t like he couldn’t interact with human children his age either. But he always knew it was about how his eyes turned amethyst under sunlight. It was too out of the ordinary, something that would easily pique the interest of humans, something their coven wanted to avoid. They had tried it out at first, letting him go to a kindergarten Hyungwon’s parents had suggested. But that ended as soon as it started, only lasting for a week, ending as soon as he mentioned that they had spent time outside gardening.

The only reprieve he had from the uneventful days were the times Hyungwon would come over to play with him after his classes. Those days where Hyungwon would tell him how fun it was to play soccer, would tell him about the big playground at his school, would bring him rocks and flowers and leaves. He remembers the pure excitement and amazement he felt whenever Hyungwon would bring pretty flowers and edged stones. They were so normal, now that he thinks about it, really. The things Hyungwon brought him were so ordinary, but those little things had brought him much happiness. He still has the smooth ash grey pebble Hyungwon gave him when they were seven, a pebble that he called his lucky charm, until he found out that they had thousands of those in their own yard.

He was home-schooled until high school, and at that point in his life, he wondered if life would’ve been better for him if he were born human. He still wonders now, at 23 years old, surprisingly still aging. His parents thought he’d stop aging at 18, but it obviously wasn’t the case. Now, at least, his curiosity about the sun is gone, replaced by the need to bask in the glow of it during the golden hours.

But what he still finds amusing is how everything looks better under natural light. When he was younger, his parents had hired someone, a known human artist, to give him private painting lessons. At that time, they were still wary about letting him stay in places where sunlight could enter. So his classes were held in a closed room with artificial lighting. The thing was, he loved painting, but he had always felt like whatever he made was lacking. Now, of course, he knows why his paintings had always looked lacking. His paintings had always looked so artificial, and it irked him how his study room had lighting that did not produce shadows at all.

When he turned 18, his parents had allowed him to go on a trip with Hyungwon’s family. He was happy, yes. But he knew that it was a test. Turning 18 meant that he’d feel the urges for blood any time soon, and that trip was somehow a test for him, if he had learned and understood, if he had prepared himself the way he was instructed to.

Hyungwon, he knew too, of course. His parents had told him, explained oh-so carefully about this fragile situation they’re in. But Kihyun knew they didn’t need to, Hyungwon, he just understands. So by the third night of that trip to Jeju, when he felt it, that raging need in his gut, the dry thirst in his throat, Hyungwon was there, a glass of blood in hand, his own blood tainting the clear crystal. Kihyun took it then, drinking it with vigor, almost as if he hasn’t had a drink in days. With the initial satiated feeling came the nausea that came upon realizing that soon he’ll be needing a lot more than just a glass, and that Hyungwon would have to provide for it. But with the years of friendship came the trust. Hyungwon knows how to take care of him, by learning it and just being friends for so long.

And now, about 6 years since, it’s become the norm. He lives at apartment near his university for now, but he’ll be back home as soon as he graduates. Maybe not, if he could convince his parents to let him live at one of the apartments in a residential building they owned where most of the coven members lived. Hyungwon lived next door, which was convenient since they were taking up the same course, the same classes. Which meant Hyungwon could easily stuff his refrigerator with blood bags.

Hyungwon, of course, through the course of their friendship, has grown so attuned to him and vice versa. It’s come to the point wherein Hyungwon knows every bit about him, which he finds annoying now since Hyungwon has already sensed his curiosity and interest in Hoseok, despite his attempts to blatantly deny the accusations.

The thing is, in the past 23 years of their friendship, it’s probably the first time he had gained this much interest in someone. Well he never really had the chance to, given that he never really had the chance to go out when they were younger. When Hyungwon had the chance to experiment in high school, dating both boys and girls, he never really found dating or intimacy interesting. Just because he knew it wasn’t really something that should concern him, given that he wouldn’t really have a choice. So, he never really took it upon himself to look around. It was allowed of course, even encouraged for the younger vampires to go out with humans before they turned 18, but somehow that case wasn’t exactly applicable to him. In uni, he avoided social interactions in general, because there are times they become a hassle for him, need for blood and all. Not really dangerous, but just annoying.

So in any case, for him to see Hoseok in such a different light, to find his beauty somehow incomparable, his thoughts of Hoseok not only objective but now subjective, with the possibility of growing feelings, it’s new. All so frighteningly new.

“You’re being stupid,” Hyungwon says, breaking his train of thought, successfully dragging him back to the reality of his feelings and just life in general, with his thesis notes and returned thesis draft right in front of him.

“You’re meeting him tonight right?” Hyungwon continues, tapping his pen absentmindedly on the table, a slight smirk on his lips.

Kihyun rolls his eyes and grunts in agreement and disbelief, he was in fact meeting Hoseok that night, the older had messaged him, asking if he’d be interested in having dinner since they haven’t exactly had a meal with just the two of them. To which he replied a brief yes, receiving a message in return with the address of a five-star restaurant in Gangnam and a message that says, “I’m really excited for tonight, see you!”.

“Yeah, I mean it’s just dinner, you know?”

Of course, it’s just dinner. But when their last encounter was a not-so brief staring contest which ended with him simply looking away and walking back into the hotel lobby, he doesn’t really know what to expect.

“Yeah sure, dinner aka giving each other heart eyes over awfully expensive tiny food, that’s what,” Hyungwon quips, looking completely unapologetic for his tirades.

“Heart eyes? Really?” he replies while successfully reaching across the table to flick Hyungwon’s forehead.

It’s not that Hyungwon isn’t wrong. Maybe he’s catching feelings or whatever. But he isn’t easily going to admit to that. He has… to at least get to know Hoseok before he allows himself to feel these feelings.

“What, I’ve been telling you! I’m pretty sure your fiance is in love with you. I mean, I don’t really get why but whatever floats his boat,” Hyungwon has the audacity to laugh on top of that.

“Can you stop assuming things not backed by facts?”

Hyungwon laughs at his face, full-bodied and annoying, mocking even.

“I’m your best friend, okay? As much as it pains me to say it, I’ve watched people actually like you throughout the years, and your fiance is probably the worst case yet. And of course, you won’t see it. You didn’t even realize Sewoon had a crush on you, and he gave you flowers everyday for an entire semester.”

To put it in perspective, maybe he has been a little too dense about it, he isn’t one to assume anyway, and he’d rather have people use actual words instead of dropping hints like that. He hates it when people beat around the bush, when they can go straight to the point. It’s a waste of time, and in this case, if someone does like him, he’d rather have them confess straight up, so he can give them a definite answer to save them both the time and effort.

“Okay, but Hyungwon, let’s say you’re right. What if I do like him and he likes me, but after spending time with each other, we realize that we hate each other’s guts?”

There’s a clear shift in Hyungwon’s demeanor, his gaze softening and voice losing its snark, “Okay, Ki. I know where these worries are coming from, but in all honesty, and you know I’d never lie to you about this, I think you should give it a try.”

He knows when Hyungwon isn’t playing, and right now, he clearly isn’t. Kihyun smiles. It’s Hyungwon who knows exactly why he’s so iffy about any one who seems to show interest in him without actually telling him what their intentions are. It’s just so unnerving to him whenever people stay around him without telling him what they need. And although he’s always guarded, he’s legitimately scared that one day he’d let someone get too close to actually hurt him physically or emotionally.

They share small smiles, ones without mirth or snark, “I think you should get going, wouldn’t want to make loverboy wait.”

He grabs a jacket from his coat rack and flips his best friend off before he steps out of his apartment. The restaurant is almost a thirty minute train ride away from his place. He can drive or take a cab, but he really likes taking the subway during the rush hour. It kind of feels exhilarating to him to be surrounded by so many humans, and he always notices how his senses heighten.

Hoseok is like a wild card thrown at him, completely out of the blue. And he knows he’s being overly critical about these feelings, but to be fair, he doesn’t have experience with dealing with them anyway. He only knows from what he sees and hears from Hyungwon, but that’s basically it. To him, feelings have always been a nuisance, bothersome. And people who get swayed by their emotions are vulnerable and easily susceptible to being hurt and manipulated by others.

But if Hyungwon can confidently tell him to go for it, then he might just give whatever this is a chance. After all, he’s supposed to spend eternity with this guy, he might as well find out if he’ll spend those years happily.

The restaurant Hoseok picked is familiar. He’s pretty sure he’s been there at least once, for a family dinner or a business meeting his dad dragged him to. The food isn’t bad but not good enough to be memorable. What he remembers is the interior. The restaurant is stunning, sleek lines and glass complemented by the plants and flowers that line the walls and serve as table centerpieces. He gives Hoseok’s name at the reception, and he’s surprisingly led not to a table in the main dining hall, but to the lone table at the balcony area.

The scene is awfully familiar, but instead of Hoseok’s back, what greets him is a smile. A warm smile that melts his resolve of actually getting to know the other first before jumping to any conclusions about his feelings a little. And when Hoseok stands up, approaching him with a simple bouquet of blue baby’s breath, his knees wobble a little.

“Hi, I hope you like the flowers.”

Hoseok’s voice is soft and soothing, and Kihyun can’t help but smile at how unsure the older seems. It’s so different from how he usually is when Kihyun watches his interactions at events they’ve been to at the same time. Hoseok is usually full-on charismatic, using his charm to work things to his favor with flowery words and slight smiles. So this is different, seeing him, to an extent, shy.

“I do. Thank you, they’re very pretty.”

The flowers are the same shade as Hoseok’s hair, the dark blue fading into a paler shade. And he finds it amusing how they find themselves under the moonlight once again.

Kihyun still thinks Hoseok looks stunning, maybe even more now when he can look at him longer. They sit across each other, and he waits it out. He wonders what the other would say. He looks down at the menu, looking for something he hasn’t tasted, but he feels a heavy gaze on him. He looks up, and unsurprisingly, their eyes meet.

He smiles fondly at how quickly the other looks away, and he couldn’t help but tease, “Like what you see?”

He’s pretty sure Hoseok's cheeks would turn a shade of pink if they could, but either way, he looks so cute like this, Kihyun thinks.

“What if I do?”

Kihyun laughs heartily, the way he does when he’s around Hyungwon or anyone he’s comfortable enough with. That’s when he knows he’s got it bad.

“Well, no worries, same here.” he says with a wink, a Hyungwon signature move, and if he weren’t smitten, he’d be doubly embarrassed but he thinks winning the banter is worth it, seeing the huge smile on Hoseok’s face is worth it.

When the teasing dies down, he notices the change in the atmosphere and the solemn look on Hoseok’s face. He looks like he wants to say something, so Kihyun waits.

“Kihyun, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, because I think I misunderstood some things about you and your coven. And that made me act a lot more stupid than I usually do. So I hope we can start over.”

The look on Hoseok’s face, the sincerity in his voice are enough for Kihyun to laugh it off and tell him it’s okay, that he understands.

He knows he’s got it bad when the conversation flows so easily, when it feels like they’ve known each other for a long time with how comfortable they are in teasing and bantering with each other. He knows he’s got it bad when every expression that passes by Hoseok’s face at every angle the different forms of light hit him seem like a masterpiece. He feels warmth in his chest, and for the first time in his life, he allows it to bloom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been around 9 months since i started this, and i recently dived into my wip folder and realized i can actually finish it!!! one more part left! 
> 
> twitter: @_halcyonelixir


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